PHOENIX — Hundreds of students are left in limbo as their nursing program could be shut down in a few days.
It hasn’t happened in Arizona in at least the last 40 years.
“It kind of felt like a slap in the face,” Louise DeBusk, an Aspen University student said.
DeBusk is among some 400 students that could be affected by a recent vote by the Arizona State Board of Nursing, signaling their intent to possibly shut down the nursing program at Aspen University.
“We feel so wronged,” Theresa Lasoda, another Aspen University student said.
During Thursday’s board meeting, the board expressed concern over how safe nurses Aspen University students would be upon graduation, among other issues.
The students feel the private, for-profit university has been preparing them well, and the experience they have outside the classroom and the program are helping to prepare them to be safe nurses.
“We all chose to stick it out,” Lasoda said. “And we're here now; never in my wildest dreams did I think the Board of Nursing was going to cancel all this.”
In a recent letter to the board, Aspen University urged the board to not shut down the teaching program, stating that doing so would cause "irreparable" harm to hundreds of nursing students.
Aspen's full letter can be read below:
For over a year, Aspen University has been under the board’s review over the school's underperforming and low nursing exam scores, among other issues.
Last September, the university voluntarily gave up its provisional approval of its nursing program after not enough improvement was made.
That started a two-year “teach-out,” allowing students to still get their degrees. But it’s that teach-out that could end as early as next week.
“There are girls – guys too – that are getting ready to graduate in now 54 days,” DeBusk said. “They’re almost there, and you’re going to tell them, ‘I’m sorry, you need to restart this whole thing?' We’ve put our lives on hold, literally.”
Aspen University told 12News in a statement before Thursday’s board meeting that their case "completely merits the continuation of the program and will allow these students to continue their academic and career progress."
A group of students, including DeBusk and Losada, formed a student committee among themselves, advocating for students that the teach-out continues.
They’ve taken their case to legislators and lobbyists.
“To keep a united front and have the message be the same wherever we go, whoever we speak to that we are not unsafe practitioners,” DeBusk said.
The group met with both chairs of the State Senate and State House Health and Human Services Committees.
House Health and Human Services Committee Chair State Rep. Steve Montenegro (R-Goodyear, Litchfield Park, Surprise) told 12News that he’s sent a letter to the State Board of Nursing, asking to meet with the board about finding a solution for students.
“I wanted to make sure that the board understands that there's serious interest on our behalf to make sure that we do right by the students,” Montenegro said.
State Representative Selina Bliss (R-Yavapai County) is also on the House Health and Human Services Committee and said she plans to meet with the board to help facilitate negotiations.
“There’s too much at stake here just to let this happen to the students,” Bliss said.
State Senator T.J. Shope (R-Coolidge), chairs the State Senate’s Health and Human Services Committee told 12News he too is drafting a letter to the State Board of Nursing concerned over the effect ending the teach-out program would have on students.
“If these students are actually doing the job and have attained that educational level to perform, then I want to make sure that we can get these folks out into the communities that need nurses the most,” Shope said.
The State Board of Nursing told 12News in a statement that staff is working on ways to help Aspen students should the program be shut down.
12News contacted the major nursing programs in the state regarding if they’re doing anything to potentially help students should the teach-out end. Janina Johnson, executive director of the School of Nursing for Northern Arizona University told 12News in an emailed statement that they are taking steps.
“We have been working with Aspen University to create articulation agreements for Aspen students enrolled in prelicensure and post-licensure baccalaureate and doctorate of nursing programs. With recently secured state grant-funded scholarships, NAU is expanding enrollment in our accelerated nursing programs, which allow opportunities for impacted Aspen students enrolled in Aspen’s bachelor’s in science nursing program in Arizona to apply to NAU nursing programs,” Johnson said in part of the emailed statement.
There’s concern among students that if the program is shut down that their credits won’t transfer to another nursing program.
Spokespeople for both Arizona State University and the University of Arizona told 12News that transfer credits have to come from accredited universities.
A spokesperson for the University of Arizona told 12News there is an appeal process for students to have two courses transferred from non-regionally accredited institutions.
DeBusk said she’s not yet looked into other programs, as she wants to see the teach-out continue.
“I’m just determined to see this through,” DeBusk said.
A statement from the State Board of Nursing said another meeting will be announced shortly for the final vote on if Aspen’s teach-out will come to an end. That meeting could happen as soon as next week.
“We've put in too much time, effort, and money, we're all doing well. Our grades, show it. And we just want a chance to be great nurses and serve this community,” Losada said.
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